2027 Kia Seltos Confirmed Hybrid-Only for Australia, Arriving Late 2026

Image credit: Kia Australia

Kia has confirmed that the next-generation Seltos will be sold in Australia as a hybrid only, dropping the pure-petrol versions that have done the heavy lifting for the small SUV until now. The all-new Seltos is due in local showrooms between October and December 2026, which makes it a 2027 model. It is a notable call for one of Kia's biggest sellers, and a sign of how quickly electrification is working its way down to the affordable end of the market.

What Is Confirmed

The Hybrid System

Kia has not released Australian power figures yet, but the UK range gives a strong preview. There, the front-drive Seltos hybrid pairs a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor for a combined 113kW. The all-wheel drive version adds a second motor on the rear axle to lift the total to 131kW. Both use a six-speed dual-clutch automatic. Local specification is expected to be similar, though Kia will confirm the details closer to launch.

Bigger Body, More Tech

The next Seltos has been revealed with a larger body, fresh styling and updated cabin technology. Kia has confirmed the local grade structure will closely follow the current car, running from the entry S up through Sport and Sport+ to the GT-Line flagship, with the upper two grades offering all-wheel drive. Kia says going hybrid-only helps future-proof the model against tightening emissions rules.

Pricing Expectations

Kia has not put numbers on the new Seltos yet. The current Seltos starts at around $30,000 before on-road costs, and switching to a hybrid-only line-up will almost certainly nudge the entry price up. Even so, a hybrid small SUV with Kia's long warranty should still land in popular family-buyer territory. We will publish the full pricing table as soon as it is locked in.

Safety

As an all-new model, the 2027 Seltos has not yet been rated by ANCAP. Kia generally fits a broad driver-assist suite as standard, and we will report the official result once testing is published. For background on how the current scoring works, see our ANCAP explainer.

How It Compares

A hybrid-only Seltos puts Kia head to head with the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, Hyundai Kona Hybrid and the growing crop of Chinese hybrid small SUVs like the GWM Haval Jolion Hybrid. Kia's ace remains its seven-year warranty and well-sorted local tuning. If you want a hybrid family runabout, our best hybrids guide covers the field, and the larger Kia Sportage is the obvious step up.

Our Take

Making the Seltos hybrid-only is a confident move for a car that sells on value, and it should pay off at the pump. The big unknown is price. Hybrid tech costs more to build, so the entry Seltos is likely to creep up from where it sits today. If Kia can keep the rise modest and back it with the usual seven-year warranty, the new Seltos should stay near the top of the small-SUV shopping list. We will know more when local pricing lands later in 2026.

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